Breaking Every Rule
by christycakes
Summary: And believe me, I know that i'm breaking every rule in the book of friendship when I say this - but I can't hold it in any longer. I'm absolutely in love with you. T
1. Prologue

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Hey all! It's that time again - new story time! lol. Okay i promise to be a good girl and ACTUALLY UPDATE this one. i suck at updating -_-  
But its gonna be better this time i promise! Although I am going on vacation for a few days in California (WOOT!) but i'll probably still be writing there.  
Anyways, this story came to me on a whim. Hope you like!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Except the words I write.

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"So, any plans for the weekend?"

She sits there innocently, twirling a lock of hair around her finger with one hand and scribbling something down on a piece of paper with the other. She probably doesn't have any idea how beautiful she looks sitting there, doing her math homework peacefully with the sounds and scenery of the library surrounding her.

"Not really. Probably nothing."

She giggles but doesn't reply till she finishes copying down the equation.

"We really need to work on your social life Troy Bolton."

My heart soars at the sound of her voice uttering my name. A curl falls out from behind her ears and lands over her eyes and I have to hold my hand back from brushing it out of her face. She ends up doing it herself and I sigh unhappily, wishing I could've done it myself.

"I just…I'd rather do nothing then do something I don't like."

She frowns but still doesn't look up from her textbook. Her hand flies across the page as her eyes scan it for some various piece of information. The bracelet I gave her last summer jingles as her hand moves.

"Why don't you just hang out with Sasha?"

I look down and focus on my fingers, picking at the sensitive skin by the cuticles.

"Um yeah…Sasha and I broke up on Wednesday."

She finally looks up and her copper eyes meet mine. They're cloudy and I can't seem to read them.

"What the fuck Troy!" she whispers viciously yet quietly, trying not to catch the attention of anyone else in the library. "I'm your fucking best friend and I find out two days later! I bet you ten bucks the entire school knew the second after it happened and I find out like this."

I wince. She's probably right. Word travels fast at East High.

I don't say anything but I just stare. She's hurt. After glaring at me for a few seconds more, she decides I'm not worth her attention anymore and continues working peacefully on her Calculus homework.

"Gabriella," I whisper. "I'm sorry. I just…I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want you to worry about me. It's no big deal really."

She looks up again. Her eyes are calmer now and she doesn't seem as angry.

"Why did you guys break up?"

I search her face. Sometimes when we're bored at home, watching a movie or playing a game or something, I'll just stare at her face. I make sure she doesn't notice, of course, and I just stare. I've got every inch of it memorized.

"Troy, just tell me. Why did you guys break up?" she repeats.

_Because I love you._

"Because she cheated." I lie.

Her expression changes now. She's sympathetic and heartbroken.

"I'm so sorry hun." She lays her hand comfortingly on my shoulder and I shiver slightly but I'd never let her see.

I love when she calls me 'hun'. Sometimes I pretend the nickname is reserved for me only but then I watch her call Chad 'hun' and Zeke 'hun' and I realize that its as common as calling someone by their name for her. I still love it.

"It's fine really," I shake her hand off, pretending to be all manly, but really all I want is for her to put it back on my shoulder.

"If it makes you feel better, I never liked her." She smirks and holds back a giggle.

I grin. "Yeah, that makes me feel so much better Gabs." I reply sarcastically.

She swats at my shoulder flirtatiously and I beam. "Well I didn't. She was too snobby. And you could tell she hated me." She scrunches her nose like a little girl and at that moment, I want nothing more but to kiss her.

"Well that's her problem." I state. "How about we go out, I want to get her off my mind."

"Why don't you go to Jason's party?" She asks, returning to her math homework.

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe cause I just got my heart broken and I want the support and comfort of my best friend?" My voice drips with sarcasm.

She chuckles. "Oh, I see the drama queen has entered the building."

I smile. She smiles.

"Hold on, lemme return this book and we can head to my house and watch a movie. What do you say?"

She closes her books and sets her pens and highlighters neatly into her bag.

"That sounds absolutely perfect."

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**Ta-da! lol. I already have part of the second chapter written and will either post it later today or early tomorrow. So review! That pretty little green button is calling your name!**

**~Izzy**


	2. I Hope Its Gonna Make You Notice

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We lie there peacefully on her couch, watching the horror of the movie unfold in front of us. Well, she's watching. I'm watching her. She snuggled close to my chest, holding me tight with her small arms. I've got one hand on her arm and the other hand cradling her waist. I was the one who suggested the scary movie and now I'm glad I did.

Her hair smells amazing. A mix of strawberry and…well I don't really know, since I'm a guy and I'm not really supposed to know these things. But still.

I trace invisible patterns on her back attempting to comfort her. She moves closer to me. I'm pretty sure she doesn't know how insane she is driving me by pressing up her body against mine. I inhale her aroma. All I want to do is turn off the TV and kiss her. Why does this have to be so fucking hard?

After a while, the end credits start rolling across the screen. A slew of curse words run through my mind. The end credits means that the film is over, and that means I have to let her go. She gets up off of me and goes to turn off the TV and my body instantly misses her warmth.

She turns on the lights and turns to look at me. Her eyes are groggy and her hair is slightly messy but she looks stunning.

"It's late," she states.

I glance at the clock. It's 2 AM.

"I should go," I stand up and walk to her, giving her a quick hug. I linger slightly and then force myself to let her go.

"Thanks for doing this Gabs. I love our movie nights."

She giggles quietly, but a halo of sleep quickly takes over her mind as she yawns.

To my surprise, she leans in one more time for a hug. I hold her tight and wish to stay like this forever but I'm afraid she'll fall asleep in my arms.

"I love you Troy."

I think back to the first time she told me she loved me. We were on our way to Sharpay's birthday party and I had just made her laugh while telling her about my day. As her small body shook with laughter, she sighed contently and said "I love you Troy." I almost got in a car accident after she said that. And later that day, after analyzing every syllable, I realized she only meant it in a friendly way. That's all we would ever be. Friends.

"I love you too Gabi." I whisper into her hair.

If she only knew.

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"What are you doing?"

The voice on the other line is quiet at first, and then muffled.

"Gabs I cant hear you,"

"Sorry, I'm just trying to sort something out. Mel! Where the hell did you put my boots?"

I snort at the sound of her squeaky voice yelling. I hear her and her sister bicker for a moment in the background and then silence.

"Sorry hun, I'm just such a mess right now." she finally says.

"It's okay. Should I pick you up later?"

"No, I'll totally flip out if the schedule changes now."  
I laugh quietly and imagine her running her hand through her hair.

"Hold on one sec," She puts the phone down and I hear footsteps running. In a few seconds, she is back.

"Okay, I can't fucking find the boots. Do you think flats will be okay?"

"Whatever you wear will look fine babe."

I freeze. Did I just call her babe? I've called her that a million times in my head but never out loud. I hold my breath. The voice on the other line is silent.

"Did you just call me babe?" she finally says. I sense the smirk in her voice and calm down a bit.

"Yeah, sorry. I-uh…I was thinking about something and I…"

"No, it's fine. I think it's cute."

I can hear the grin in her voice and let out the breath I was holding.

"I just didn't think pet names were your thing Bolton."

I picture her sticking her tongue out at me.

"Well...they aren't but I…um –" I nervously scratch the back of my neck.

"Oh shit," she interrupts. "Troy, I just made a huge mess. Can I call you back? No wait, scratch that. Just be here in half an hour. Bye!"

She hangs up without waiting for me to reply and I'm thankful. I slap my forehead with my palm. How could I have been so stupid? Calling her 'babe' as if it was completely normal?

But even if I don't admit it, a little part of me is glad she's okay with the nickname. And an even smaller part tells me that calling her 'babe' in the future will be very common.

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We're driving home in a comfortable silence. She stares out the window as if she is contemplating something and I yearn to know what she is thinking about. The only sound is the sound of the truck's engine.

"I wish we could run away," she suddenly says. I look over to her without taking my hands off the wheel. She has a distant look on her face.

"Who?"

"You, me, Chad, Sharpay, Taylor, everyone. It could be like a fun road trip or something."

I grin. "Yeah, that does sound fun."

She continues. "Or just you and me. For like a day. We could just go off somewhere and not have to worry about anything or anyone."

I grip the wheel tighter to keep myself from reaching for her hand.

"Is something wrong Gabi?" I try not to sound too concerned.

She immediately turns to me with one of her signature smiles. "Oh no no no. Everything's fine. Everything's perfect actually. I was just…thinking out loud."

I nod slowly.

"Maybe one of these days I'll surprise you and whisk you away on a random road trip." I say jokingly while smirking. She giggles.

"That would be really fun," She blushes for some odd reason and then returns her attention to the window.

_Maybe one of these days I'll confess to you how I really feel. _

She sighs contently. I look away reluctantly and continue driving.

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**Okay, i know it may seem that this story is pointless and seems to be going no where but i promise you that there is a point lol. It may take like 2 or 3 chapters to get there but we'll get there (:**

**Review por favor! it makes me happy!**

**~Izzy**


	3. Don't Blink Or You'll Miss It

We always walk in step.

It's not like we do it on purpose, that's just how it ends up. We'll start walking with different paces and somehow along the way we'll end up walking perfectly in tune with one another.

Now is no different. We're walking through the city's annual carnival. It's one of the greatest nights of the year mainly because everyone is just so happy. Time stops for this one night. Kids don't worry about homework or projects or due dates. Parents don't worry about bills or work or taxes. Everyone comes to the carnival and just relaxes.

I look over to her. The sun is fading slowly and the gentle beams of light caress her face, making it seem to glow. Her hair is down and random strands float freely in front of her eyes, causing her to brush them away. She smiles as she watches a group of kindergarteners race by, all of them eager to get to the rides. Her form-fitting summer dress sways around her knees as we walk.

A gentle breeze blows our way. She shivers slightly.

"Oh, here." I curse at the fact that I didn't think about giving her my jacket earlier. I take the article of clothing off and gently drape it around her shoulders.

"There's no need Troy. I'm fine," Even so, she doesn't take the jacket off.

I trace her face with my eyes and allow myself to stare at her for just a few seconds. "Let's get on the Ferris wheel," I suddenly blurt out.

She looks at me like I'm crazy. "Troy," she giggles, moving closer to me until her body is inches away from mine. "You're afraid of heights, remember?"

I blush, praying that the ascending darkness will cover it up. "No, Gabi its fine. That was back then. Really, I bet you want to go too."

She moves closer to me and the temperature seems to go up a few notches. "When you say 'back then,' are you referring to a few weeks ago?" She's smirking now. My face turns a few shades darker as I remember the event a few weeks ago, when Chad and I attempted to climb the water tower located near our school and I nearly passed out at the top.

"That was…that was then, this is now. I'm serious. If you don't come with me, I'll just have to find someone else." I try to sound confident but on the inside I'm shaking.

She smirks once more and sticks her tongue out at me, and before I know it, she's running towards the giant wheel. I chase after her and once I catch up, I grasp her hand and we walk the rest of the distance together. In step of course.

In no time we're in one of those carts and the ride starts moving. We're slowly rising to the top. I close my eyes and take a breath. This was a stupid idea. I hate heights. Ever since I was two and my older brother left me alone in our tree house while our parents were grocery shopping, I've despised anything taller than me. But this was the only chance I had. I needed to get her alone.

We come to a gentle stop at the very top. Just my freaking luck.

"You okay? You look a little pale?" She's teasing me, but I can see a flash of concern on her face too.

"Yeah, of course. I'm great. Um, Gabi? Can I tell you a secret?"

"Oh my gosh yes! I love secrets!" She starts laughing. "Oooh, that reminds me. Remember that one chick that Sharpay used to be friends with but that was a total bitch? You will _never_ guess what happened to her in the girl's room today…"

"Gabi—"

"No, you have to hear this. Me and Taylor were just in there after second period, minding our own business, when suddenly—"

"Gabriella—"

"Shh, it's about to get good. We're standing there and that chick comes out of the bathroom stall, and she's…Troy? Oh my gosh Troy are you okay?"

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I open my eyes slowly and curse the bright light shining in my face. Where the hell am I?

"And, he lives." I hear a man's voice say. A flashlight clicks and the light ceases to shine. A group of voices all sigh in relief and whispers of 'Thank goodness,' and 'That was a close one,' are heard. I blink a few times, attempting to regain normal vision. My head feels numb, and my hand is burning. I look down at it, only to see a smaller hand squeezing the life out of my own.

"I can't believe you pulled that on me Troy Bolton. You thought it would be funny? 'Oh! Let's go on the Ferris wheel Gabriella! It'll be so great!' Little did I know you were gonna pass out. Gosh, you are such a child." And then, as soon as she's finished with her rant, she has me enveloped in a tight hug. I still can't make out my surroundings but I hug her back and her familiar smell makes me feel a little better.

"I'm sorry Gabi," I whisper quietly, but I'm not sure she heard cause she pulled away too fast. I then have an opportunity to make out the other faces around me. My mom, my dad, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Mrs. Darbus, my doctor, and the 6 year old boy who lives next door are all standing around me.

"What happened?" I mumble.

"Well, in case Gabs didn't explain it enough just now, you passed out on the Ferris wheel. You're afraid of heights Bolton. Not your smartest move."

I rise slowly and realize I'm in one of the tents at the carnival. A sliver of the park is visible from where the tent opens and I see that it's pitch black outside. How much time passed?

I lie back down and rest my eyes shut for a minute. My mother whispers to the others. "Maybe we should let him rest?" They all agree and begin to file out of the tent. Gabriella is the last to leave.

"Gabi, wait." I open my eyes and allow them to linger at her silhouetted figure against the dark, nighttime sky.

"Yeah Troy?"

"I still need to tell you the secret, remember?" I force a weak smile although my head is still pounding.

A grin takes over her face and I can't help but smile bigger. "I'm surprised you still remember after that fall in the cart."

I laugh. "Of course I remember."

She closes the tent and comes to sit near me again. "Okay then. Spill the beans."

"Well okay. I was walking back out from basketball practice and I passed the cafeteria and I saw some people in there and then I started walking towards my car and I turned on the engine and was driving home and I saw this girl walking by herself and then I got home and I started watching TV and then I realized I love you." I blurt it all out without even taking a breath.

It's hard to see her face in the tent without any light. I don't know what her reaction is.

"I love you too silly." She swats my shoulder and giggles.

"No, Gabriella. I mean…"

I hear her take in a sharp breath. I can't do this.

"I mean…thanks for saving me today. You're my princess in shining armor. And I love you for that."

She seems to let out her breath and starts giggling more. "I'll be your princess in shining armor any time you need Troy." She reaches over and gives my hand a squeeze.

She was here. And I loved her. She loved me back too, maybe not in the same way, but still. That would have to be enough for now.

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**Aw stupid Ferris Wheel. LOL.  
K, review por favor.**

**~Iz**


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